Christmas Crackers

[sophie_1003]

I would like to send a couple of Christmas crackers to my friend in Australia; on the Royal Mail site it says crackers can be sent as long as they are completely made up and in their original retail packaging. I wanted to make my own so would I be better off making some that are just out of a tube with paper wrapped round (instead of a proper cracker with the 'bang') or would this also be unacceptable?
P.S. if anyone can think of a better category for this question to be posted in please let me know!

[jno]

well, you could reasonably argue that a cracker without a bang isn't a cracker at all, it's just a tube.

But the thing is, you probably won't be given the chance to argue anything; if for some reason they open the package, they're the ones who will decide it's a cracker and just confiscate it. At the most I suppose they might return to sender, but I wouldn't bet on it. So really, I wouldn't bother.

[sophie_1003]

hmm good point; I might have to put all the stuff that would go in the cracker in a rectangular envelope then draw a cracker on it! Not as much fun though!

[mollykins]

Don't they sell them in Australia?

[sophie_1003]

I think they do; she's from the UK and is living in Australia at the moment; usually a group of us have Christmas dinner every year together so was going to send her the crackers so she still felt included!

[twix123]

Why not buy some from an Australian on-line store and have them delivered directly to your friend, as follows:

http://tinyurl.com/23ybe8c

although the're not cheap, but there may be other stores on line doing similar!

[sophie_1003]

Good idea twix but I wanted to make my own and put my own gifts in and only needed to send 2!

[boxtops]

Sophie, the rules are very strict about sending explosives through the post, and the Bang is counted as explosive. I wasn't allowed to list Party Poppers on eBay if they could be sold outside the country, because they have a bit of explosive stuff to make them Pop.
It's the Bang, not the shape, which is banned - if you made a tubular cracker with the gift inside, and wrote "Bang!" on a bit of paper inside, I can't see that being a problem. Just don't write "crackers" on the Customs declaration.

[boxtops]

Eddie, I sold to Oz about three weeks ago, my feedback came back last week - seemed to take about 10 days - that was airmail. I did send one surface once - 12 weeks!

[sophie_1003]

Aww was thinking I might be a bit late; letters have been getting through in about a week but they may have to have delayed fake crackers lol; I'm not sure of her address at the moment though so will have to wait anyway!
Thanks by the way boxtops; will maybe ask at the Post Office and hopefully be able to go for the tubes with paper wrapped round!